He rushed into the cool, white salon and found Ava waiting for him. She looked radiant, but then again, he thought: she always did.

She looked up from her magazine and her face lit up the moment she saw him. He hoped it would always be like that. “Sorry,” he said, rushing to her side. “I got held up.”

“Anything urgent?” she asked, as he kissed her on the lips.

“It’s always urgent. But I do have a best man now.”

She stared at him expectantly.

“Carlos.”

“Carlos?”

“I couldn’t think of anyone I would rather have,” he explained. “How was your massage?”

“Heavenly. Don’t I seem calmer to you?”

“You’re always calm, and that’s one of the things I love about you.”

“I had a facial too.” She moved her face from side to side with exaggeration. “You didn’t notice my firmer, plumped up, iridescent skin?” He grabbed her hand, helping her to get up. “You always look great to me. Though you look a little shiny right now.” He observed, peering closer towards her.

“I believe it’s called ‘dewy’. See my tight pores?” She moved closer to him and he searched her face as though looking for forensic clues.

“Were they ever loose?” He traced his finger delicately over her cheek. She laughed as he squeezed her hand. “I think I look the same, too,” she whispered, “but it feels cleaner. Maybe that’s something you men don’t understand. Maybe…” she turned to him wide-eyed with wonder. “We can have a couple of treatments together on our honeymoon. This secret place we’re going to has a spa, I assume?”

Before he could answer her, an assistant rushed up to Ava with a bag in her hand. “You almost forgot the treatments you bought, Ava. I could give you a quick rundown of how to use them, if you have time. It’s important to understand the five-step cleansing ritual.” Ava gave him an apologetic smile as the young woman led her to the counter. He looked around the clinical white interior of the beauty salon while he waited, and then he felt a small pinch on his waist and turned around.

“Nico.” Silvia stood almost in his face and the shock of her platinum blond curls, slightly longer than when he’d last seen her, dazzled his vision.

“Silvia.” He forced the word out of his mouth.

“What a surprise to see you here,” she stated. He was too shocked to reply.

“Pre-wedding nerves?” she asked.

“No,” he replied calmly. “What, apart from wishful thinking, would make you say that?”

She ignored the question and turned to look at Ava. “I see she came in for a relaxing pregnancy massage. Perhaps, she has pre-wedding nerves. It can’t be easy for her—especially after getting dumped the first time around. She’s probably worried as to what might go wrong this time.”

How she could say this to him with that plastic smile stretched across her lips?  What had he ever seen in her?

“My fiancé is looking forward to the wedding as much as I am,” Nico growled and slid his hands into his trouser pockets. “How is Alessa?”

“Growing older gracefully.”

“She’s five,” said Nico tightly, crinkling his nose.

“I’m hoping to send her to a boarding school in Switzerland,” Silvia announced as she examined her fingernails. Nico stared at her as if her dress had just fallen off. “She’s a child. Why would you do such a thing?”

How could anyone do such a thing?

“The exclusive boarding schools there have very long waiting lists. She won’t be starting yet.”

“You’re crazy.” Nico felt sorry for the little girl he’d come to love as his own. But maybe getting away from Silvia would not be such a bad thing.

“You were crazy in love with me once.” Silvia slid her hand slowly along his shoulder, making him recoil.

“I was in a dark place then,” he told her, remembering that time, and removing Silvia’s hand. His beloved mother had just died.

“If you ever change your mind…” she drawled. In the next moment he felt a familiar hand, warm and soft, slip around his waist.

“Silvia,” said Ava, as though it was the answer to a quiz. “We meet again. Didn’t your treatment end when I came in?”

“I remembered I had to buy an anti-aging serum,” Silvia replied stiffly.

“I hear it’s better to start using them as soon as possible. You might already be too late.” Nico sniped. Beside him, he heard Ava stifle a gasp.

“Good luck at the wedding. You’ll both need it.” Silvia sneered.

“Will we see you there?” Ava asked.

Silvia shook her head. “I’m going to Monaco for a few days.”

“Then we’re sure to have a great day,” Nico retorted, slipping his hand into Ava’s. “Shall we go?”

She nodded and he began to walk off, murmuring a bored ‘Ciao’ into thin air. He was disgusted with the woman he’d once been involved with so many years ago. Even now, merely running into her had already put a dampener on his mood.

“Why did you ask her if she’d be at the wedding?” he asked as they stepped outside onto the quiet side road. “I didn’t invite her. You must know that I’d never have that witch at my wedding.”

“I was being polite.”

He turned and was about to walk when Ava pulled at him and refused to move. “What was that about?”

“What?” he cocked his head. A dart of sunshine pierced through the sky like a blade and he lifted his hand to his face to block out the light.

“You being so nasty to Silvia.”

“The woman is a viper. She never has anything good to say, even after all this time and knowing that we’ve both moved on. I thought she might have changed as she got older.”

“Maybe she just needs more time,” Ava suggested, and moved toward him, placing her hand on his chest. Just by doing that she undid the tension that had built up in his body. “And she needs to accept that you’re all mine now.” She tilted her head up so that he could kiss her. The scent of fresh apple shampoo floated through his nostrils. He planted a kiss, as soft as velvet, on her lips.

“Thanks for rescuing me,” he murmured, feeling better already. Things were piling up on him, and this latest run-in with Silvia had only made him more tense. He didn’t want to be reminded of the vultures he’d associated with in his past, and especially not now, as he was trying to unwind and get ready for the wedding.

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